Electrically Heated Reactor

Abstract

An electrically heated reactor is disclosed, which includes a reaction tube having a first passage formed therein in the longitudinal direction through which reactants pass, a pair of connecting tubes joined to both ends of the reaction tube in the longitudinal direction and electrically connected to the reaction tube to form a second passage connected to the first passage, a power source configured to supply power to the reaction tube so as to heat the reactants passing through the first passage in the reaction tube, and a pair of conductive sockets electrically connecting the power source to the pair of connecting tubes.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [Cross-reference to related applications] This application claims the benefit of priority based on Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0150900, filed November 3, 2023, and all contents disclosed in the documents of this Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to an electrically heated reactor, and more particularly to an electrically heated reactor in which a connecting tube with low resistivity is attached to a reaction tube with high resistivity and a power source is connected to the connecting tube, thereby preventing unnecessary heat generation at the connection between the power source and the connecting tube and preventing damage and thermal deformation of the connection. [Background technology]

[0003] In the chemical industry, natural gas is used as fuel to maintain high temperatures in various equipment (e.g., crackers, reformers, reactors, boilers, etc.). However, heating by burning natural gas is not only inefficient in terms of energy consumption, but is also a major source of carbon emissions. Therefore, efforts are being made to replace heating by burning natural gas with electric heating.

[0004] In general, electric heating methods apply current to a tubular reactor with high resistivity, causing the reactor itself to heat up. To apply current to the reactor, a conductive material is connected to and in contact with the alloy reactor. However, the connection (contact) between the reactor and the conductive material can be damaged by exposure to high temperatures due to the reactor's high resistivity, or it can expand and deform due to the high temperatures. If the connection (contact) is damaged or deformed, the contact resistance increases, further increasing the temperature of the connection (contact) and reducing energy efficiency.

[0005] The matters described in this background art section are prepared to enhance understanding of the background of the invention, and may include matters that are not conventional art already known to those having ordinary skill in the field to which this technology belongs. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention aims to provide an electrically heated reactor that can be widely applied to high-temperature processes (reaction, drying, firing, etc.) by attaching a connecting tube with low resistivity to a reaction tube with high resistivity and connecting a power source to the connecting tube, thereby preventing unnecessary heat generation at the connection between the power source and the connecting tube and preventing damage and thermal deformation of the connection. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: a reaction tube having a first passage formed therein in a longitudinal direction through which a reactant passes; a pair of connecting tubes coupled to both ends of the reaction tube in the longitudinal direction and electrically connected to the reaction tube to form a second passage connected to the first passage; a power source configured to supply power to the reaction tube so as to heat the reactant passing through the first passage in the reaction tube; and a pair of conductive sockets electrically connecting the power source to the pair of connecting tubes.

[0008] The first resistivity of the reaction tube may be higher than the second resistivity of the pair of connecting tubes.

[0009] The electrically heated reactor may further include a cooling tube attached to at least one of the pair of connecting tubes.

[0010] The pair of connecting tubes may include a first connecting tube connected to one end of the reaction tube; and a second connecting tube connected to the other end of the reaction tube.

[0011] The pair of connecting tubes may be welded to the reaction tube.

[0012] The resistivity of the first connecting tube can be higher than the resistivity of the second connecting tube.

[0013] The distance between the connection portion of the first conductive socket and the first connecting tube and the reaction tube may be shorter than the distance between the connection portion of the second conductive socket and the second connecting tube and the reaction tube.

[0014] The second connecting tube can be longer than the first connecting tube.

[0015] The electrically heated reactor may further include a cooling tube attached to the second connecting tube of the first and second connecting tubes.

[0016] The cooling tube may be disposed between the second conductive socket and the cooling tube.

[0017] Each connecting tube and the corresponding conductive socket may be connected by a flange connection or a pipe clamp connection. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, unnecessary heat generation at the connection (contact) portion can be prevented by connecting the power source to a connecting tube with low resistivity, thereby preventing damage and thermal deformation of the connection (contact) portion.

[0019] In addition, it is possible to design the connecting (contact) portion to reduce the contact resistance by preventing overheating of the connecting (contact) portion, and additional measures such as surface treatment are also possible.

[0020] Furthermore, no additional equipment for cooling the connecting (contact) parts is required, which allows simplification of the reactor design.

[0021] Other advantages achieved or expected by the embodiments of the present invention are directly or implicitly disclosed in the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. In other words, various advantages expected by the embodiments of the present invention will be disclosed in the detailed description below.

[0022] The embodiments herein may be better understood by reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements and wherein: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] An example of the "A1" part of Figure 1 is shown below. [Figure 3] Schematically shows a plan view of FIG. [Figure 4] Another example of the "A1" part of FIG. 1 is shown. [Figure 5] 5 shows a schematic plan view of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The above-referenced drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and should be understood as presenting somewhat simplified representations of various preferred features illustrating the underlying principles of the present disclosure. For example, specific design features of the present disclosure, including specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes, are determined in part by the particular intended application and environment of use. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will also be understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one or all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0025] It is further understood that the methods described below, or one or more of their aspects, can be performed by at least one or more controllers. The term "controller" can refer to a hardware device including a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store program instructions, and the processor is specifically programmed to execute the program instructions to perform one or more processes described in more detail below. The controller can control the operation of a unit, module, component, device, or the like, as described herein. It is also understood that the methods described below can be performed by a device that includes a controller along with one or more other components, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0026] The controller of the present disclosure may also be implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing executable program instructions for execution by a processor. Examples of computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disc (CD)-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash drive, smart card, and optical data storage device. The computer-readable storage medium may also be distributed across a computer network so that the program instructions are stored and executed in a distributed manner, such as in a telematics server or controller area network (CAN).

[0027] According to the present invention, an electrically heated reactor includes a reaction tube having a first passage formed therein in the longitudinal direction through which reactants pass; a pair of connecting tubes joined to both ends of the reaction tube in the longitudinal direction and electrically connected to the reaction tube; a power source configured to supply power to the reaction tube through the pair of connecting tubes so as to heat the reactants passing through the first passage within the reaction tube; and a pair of conductive sockets connecting the power source and the pair of connecting tubes so as to allow current to flow. Here, the reaction tube has a first resistivity, and the pair of connecting tubes have a second resistivity. The second resistivity is smaller than the first resistivity, so that when power is supplied, the temperature of the reaction tube is higher than the temperature of the pair of connecting tubes. By connecting the pair of conductive sockets to the pair of connecting tubes having a relatively small resistivity, unnecessary heat generation at the connecting (contact) portion can be prevented, thereby preventing damage and thermal deformation of the connecting (contact) portion. Furthermore, by preventing overheating of the connecting (contact) portion, it is possible to design the connecting (contact) portion to reduce its contact resistance (e.g., increase the contact area), and additional measures such as surface treatment are also possible. In addition, no additional equipment is required for cooling the connecting (contact) parts, which allows simplification of the reactor design.

[0028] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an electrically heated reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] 1, an electrically heated reactor 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to generate heat when supplied with electric power and transfer the heat to reactants therein using the generated heat. The electrically heated reactor 10 includes a reaction tube 20, a pair of connecting tubes (first and second connecting tubes 30a and 30b), a power source 50, and a pair of conductive sockets (first and second conductive sockets 40a and 40b).

[0031] The reaction tube 20 is made of an alloy material having high resistivity, and a first passage through which a reactant passes is formed in the longitudinal direction thereof. For example, the reaction tube 20 may be formed in a circular pipe shape, and the first passage may be formed in the longitudinal direction thereof. However, the shape of the reaction tube 20 is not limited to a circular pipe shape. Because the reaction tube 20 has high resistivity, when power is applied to the reaction tube 20, heat is generated in the reaction tube 20, and the heat can be transferred to the reactant in the first passage. The resistivity of the reaction tube 20 is referred to as a first resistivity ρ1.

[0032] The pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b may have the same or similar cross-sectional shape as the reaction tube 20. For example, the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b may also have a circular pipe shape. The pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b are connected to both ends of the reaction tube 20 in the longitudinal direction. That is, the first connecting tube 30a is connected to one end of the reaction tube 20, and the second connecting tube 30b is connected to the other end of the reaction tube 20.

[0033] An inlet 32 ​​is formed at one end of the first connection tube 30a, and reactants required for reaction flow into the first connection tube 20 through the inlet 21. A second passage connected to the first passage of the reaction tube 20 is formed inside the first connection tube 30a. Therefore, the reactants flowing into the second passage through the inlet 21 move to the first passage.

[0034] An outlet 34 is formed at the other end of the second connecting tube 30b, and reacted products and / or unreacted materials are discharged from the second connecting tube 30b through the outlet 34. A second passage connected to the first passage of the reaction tube 20 is also formed inside the second connecting tube 30b. Therefore, reacted products and / or unreacted materials passing through the reaction tube 20 move from the first passage to the second passage and are again discharged from the second connecting tube 30b through the outlet 34.

[0035] The second passages formed inside the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b are connected to the first passages formed inside the reaction tube 30, and the diameters of the first and second passages may be the same or similar. As a result, reactants flowing into the first connecting passage 30a through the inlet 32 ​​react while passing through the first connecting passage 30a, the reaction tube 20, and the second passage inside the second connecting passage 30b, the first passage, and the second passage in sequence, and then flow out of the second passage through the outlet 34. In addition, because the diameters of the first and second passages are the same or similar, the flow resistance of the reactants passing through the first and second passages does not increase.

[0036] The pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b may be made of a relatively low-conductivity material (e.g., a metal material). The pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b may have a second resistivity ρ2, which may be smaller than the first resistivity ρ1. Therefore, when the same power is applied to the reaction tube 20 and the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b, more heat is generated in the reaction tube 20 than in the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b. As a result, the temperature of the reaction tube 20 may be higher than the temperature of the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b. For example, the reactants are preheated in the first connecting tube 30a, and the reaction of the reactants mainly occurs in the reaction tube 20. The second connecting tube 30b may assist the reaction of unreacted reactants and suppress additional reaction of products.

[0037] The pair of connecting tubes 30 a and 30 b are electrically connected to the reaction tube 20 .

[0038] As a result, current supplied to the first connection tube 30a can flow to the second connection tube 30b via the reaction tube 20, and vice versa. That is, when power is applied to the pair of connection tubes 30a and 30b, the same power is also applied to the reaction tube 20. In one example, the pair of connection tubes 30a and 30b can be welded to the reaction tube 20. However, the connection between the pair of connection tubes 30a and 30b and the reaction tube 20 is not limited to welding.

[0039] The power supply 50 is configured to supply power to the reaction tube 20 through a pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b. The power supply 50 may be an AC power supply or a DC power supply.

[0040] The pair of conductive sockets 40a, 40b electrically connect the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b to the power source 50. When the power source 50 supplies power to the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b through the pair of conductive sockets 40a, 40b, the power is also supplied to the reaction tube 20 through the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b. As a result, the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b and the reaction tube 20 generate heat. However, because the second resistivity ρ2 of the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b is smaller than the first resistivity ρ1 of the reaction tube 20, the heat generated in the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b is smaller than the heat generated in the reaction tube 20, and the temperature of the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b can be lower than the temperature of the reaction tube 20. The pair of conductive sockets 40a, 40b are connected to the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b, which have a relatively low temperature, and thus unnecessary heat generation at the connecting (contact) portion between the pair of conductive sockets 40a, 40b and the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b can be prevented, thereby preventing damage and thermal deformation of the connecting (contact) portion.

[0041] The first conductive socket 40a is attached to one end of the first connecting tube 30a and electrically connects the power source 50 to the first connecting tube 30a via an electric wire 52. The second conductive socket 40b is attached to the other end of the second connecting tube 30b and electrically connects the power source 50 to the second connecting tube 30b via an electric wire 52. As a result, power from the same power source 50 is supplied to the first and second connecting tubes 30a and 30b via the first and second conductive sockets 40a and 40b.

[0042] Because reactants required for reaction primarily pass through the first connecting tube 30a and products of the reaction primarily pass through the second connecting tube 30b, the temperature of the second connecting tube 30b may be higher than the temperature of the first connecting tube 30a. As a result, the temperature of the connection (contact) portion between the second connecting tube 30b and the second conductive socket 40b may be higher than the temperature of the connection (contact) portion between the first connecting tube 30a and the first conductive socket 40a, which may result in damage or deformation of the connection (contact) portion between the second connecting tube 30b and the second conductive socket 40b. To prevent the temperature of the connection (contact) portion between the second connecting tube 30b and the second conductive socket 40b from being higher than the temperature of the connection (contact) portion between the first connecting tube 30a and the first conductive socket 40a, for example, the second resistivity ρ2 of the second connecting tube 30b may be lower than the second resistivity ρ2 of the first connecting tube 30a. In another example, the length of the second connecting tube 30a may be made longer than the length of the first connecting tube 30a, and the first and second conductive sockets 40a, 40b may be connected to the first and second connecting tubes 30a, 30b, respectively, so that the distance between the connecting (contact) portion of the second connecting tube 30b and the second conductive socket 40b and the reaction tube 20 is longer than the distance between the connecting (contact) portion of the first connecting tube 30a and the first conductive socket 40a and the reaction tube 20.

[0043] The electrically heated reactor 10 may further include a cooler 60 and a cooling tube 62. The cooler 60 receives a cold refrigerant through a refrigerant inlet line 64 and transfers the cold refrigerant to the cooling tube 62. The cooling tube 62 is attached to at least one of the first and second connecting tubes 30a and 30b and cools the connecting tubes 30a and 30b through heat exchange with the connecting tubes 30a and 30b. The refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the connecting tubes 30a and 30b returns to the cooler 60 and flows out of the cooler 60 through a refrigerant outlet line 66. In one example, the cooling tube 62 is disposed on the second connecting tube 30b to cool the second connecting tube 30b. This prevents further reaction of the product in the second connecting tube 30b. The cooling tube 62 may also be attached between the reaction tube 20 and the second conductive socket 40b. Therefore, the connection (contact) portion between the second connection tube 30b and the second conductive socket 40b can be further prevented from being heated by the product.

[0044] The coupling between the pair of connecting tubes 30a, 30b and the pair of conductive sockets 40a, 40b will be described in more detail below. While the coupling between the first connecting tube 30a and the first conductive socket 40a is illustrated here, it should be understood that the second connecting tube 30b and the second conductive socket 40b can also be coupled in the same manner as the first connecting tube 30a and the first conductive socket 40a.

[0045] Fig. 2 shows an example of the "A1" portion of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows a schematic plan view of Fig. 2. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate a case where the first connecting tube 30a and the first conductive socket 40a are flange-coupled.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first connecting tube 30a includes a first piece 31a having a flange formed on one end and a second piece 31b having a flange formed on one end, with the flanges of the first piece 31a and the second piece 31b facing each other. The flanges may be annular and have the same flange diameter d. The first conductive socket 40a may be plate-shaped and have a larger area than the flanges and have holes corresponding to the second passages. The first conductive socket 40a is disposed between the flanges of the first piece 31a and the second piece 31b, and the flanges of the first piece 31a, the second piece 31b, and the first conductive socket 40a are fastened together with a plurality of fastening members 42, such as bolts, pins, or rivets. When the first connecting tube 30a and the first conductive socket 40a are flange-coupled, the contact resistance at the connection (contact) portion decreases as the flange diameter d increases. Therefore, the amount of additional heat generated at the connection (contact) portion decreases as the flange diameter d increases.

[0047] Figure 4 shows an example of the "A1" portion of Figure 1, and Figure 5 shows a schematic plan view of Figure 4. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the case where the first connecting tube 30a and the first conductive socket 40a are connected by pipe clamping.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first conductive socket 40a is formed in a pipe shape surrounding the first connecting tube 30a, with a portion thereof cut off. Therefore, the first conductive socket 40a has one end and the other end that are not connected and face each other. The one end and the other end form clamps 44, which may extend parallel to each other while facing each other. The first conductive socket 40a surrounds the first connecting tube 30a, and tightening the clamps 44 of the first conductive socket 40a allows the first conductive socket 40a to be tightly attached to the first connecting tube 30a. Fastening the clamps 44 of the first conductive socket 40a with fastening members 42 allows the first conductive socket 40a to be stably attached to the first connecting tube 30a. When the first connecting tube 30a and the first conductive socket 40a are connected by pipe flanges, the contact resistance at the connection (contact) portion decreases as the pipe height h increases. Therefore, as the pipe height h increases, the amount of additional heat generated at the connection (contact) portion can be reduced.

[0049] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes all modifications that can be easily made by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains and that are deemed equivalent to the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. a reaction tube having a first passage formed therein in the longitudinal direction through which a reactant passes; a pair of connecting tubes joined to both ends of the reaction tube in the longitudinal direction, electrically connected to the reaction tube, and forming a second passage connected to the first passage; a power source configured to supply power to the reaction tube so as to heat reactants passing through a first passage within the reaction tube; a pair of conductive sockets electrically connecting the power source and the pair of connecting tubes; an electrically heated reactor comprising:

2. 2. The electrically heated reactor according to claim 1, wherein the first resistivity of the reaction tube is higher than the second resistivity of the pair of connecting tubes.

3. The electrically heated reactor according to claim 1 , further comprising a cooling tube attached to at least one of the pair of connecting tubes.

4. The pair of connecting tubes a first connecting tube connected to one end of the reaction tube; and a second connecting tube connected to the other end of the reaction tube; 2. The electrically heated reactor of claim 1, comprising:

5. 5. The electrically heated reactor of claim 4, wherein the pair of connecting tubes are welded to the reaction tube.

6. The electrically heated reactor according to claim 4, wherein the resistivity of the first connecting tube is higher than the resistivity of the second connecting tube.

7. 5. The electrically heated reactor according to claim 4, wherein the distance between the connection of the first conductive socket and the first connecting tube and the reaction tube is shorter than the distance between the connection of the second conductive socket and the second connecting tube and the reaction tube.

8. 8. The electrically heated reactor of claim 7, wherein the second connecting tube is longer than the first connecting tube.

9. 5. The electrically heated reactor according to claim 4, further comprising a cooling tube attached to the second connecting tube of the first and second connecting tubes.

10. 10. The electrically heated reactor of claim 9, wherein the cooling tube is disposed between the second conductive socket and the cooling tube.

11. 2. The electrically heated reactor according to claim 1, wherein each connecting tube and the corresponding conductive socket are connected by a flange connection or a pipe clamp connection.

Images